A Super Glued Heart
by isabellacullenlover23
Summary: Jake was the love of Bella's life. Well, he was until he took her heart and smashed it in. When it seems like her whole world is crashing down on her, she reconnects with an old friend who asks for a favor that might just turn Bella's life right side up
1. Prologue

**A Super-Glued Heart**

**Prologue**

**All BPOV**

_**AN: So, I had another idea for a story just pop into my head and I decided to explore it.**_

_**I will not be abandoning my other stories, even if it may seem that way since I've been delayed on updating. I will be getting on a schedule and updating all my stories regularly.**_

_**This isn't your typical Bella's broken heart leads her into someone's waiting arms story. There's quite the little twists!**_

_**I hope everyone enjoys the Prologue!**_

* * *

><p>I can't believe I'm back here.<p>

I rocked back in forth in the wooden rocking chair that had been in my childhood room since I was a baby. My eyes stared straight ahead out the bay window, staring at nothing at all.

I was lost. My mind just ran around in circles. I was hungry but as soon as I ate, I wanted to throw it all up. I couldn't sleep. My head was pounding. If you looked up the definition of a wreck in the direction, there would be a picture of me— crazy hair, baggy clothes and sullen eyes.

I couldn't think of anything else to do. So, I picked up my phone.

I was tired of being ignored by him; I had listened to his voicemail too many times today. I already seemed pathetic enough, I couldn't keep harassing him all day long. There was only one other person I could think to call.

"Hey," I said into the phone, trying my hardest to keep my voice steady. I didn't want to seem like the wreck I was right away.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, it's me. How have you been?" I asked. It was quite sad that it had gotten this bad. I didn't even know how my best friend was doing. Stupid men.

Ever since I followed Jake to Chicago, so that he could follow his dreams of becoming a ballplayer, I basically ignored all those that I left behind at home. It wasn't that I thought I was better than them, getting out of the small-town atmosphere. I know that's what they all thought. But my heart was caught up in nuances of love and I was blinded by it. A lot of good that did my silly, weak heart.

I know it was wrong- I know all the nonsense about hoes before bros of whatever you want to call it. I know that I shouldn't have put all my faith in a man. I shouldn't have alienated myself just because of love. Yet, I did it anyway and it left me like this. I was stupid, naïve girl.

"Is everything alright, Bella?"

"I'm back home," I informed my best friend, trying to sound upbeat but that time, my voice finally cracked. I followed that up with an ugly sounding sniffle.

"Oh," was all that she could say. Not that I blamed her; I probably would have said the same thing. I hadn't seen her in over a year. We hadn't spoken in I don't know how long, not even a text or an email..

"Yeah," I said in order to break the awkward silence that was filled with tension through the phone line.

"Why are you calling me to tell me this, Bella? We haven't spoken in months and now you're calling me, out of the blue, to tell me that you're home? Is this supposed to change everything?"

"He left me, Alice. I'm pregnant and alone," I sobbed.


	2. The Trick is to Keep Breathing

A Super-Glued Heart

Chapter 1- The Trick is to Keep Breathing

_**AN: Thanks to everyone that has already alerted and favorite, and even reviewed this story! I'm pretty excited about this story! I don't have a specific schedule for updating, but I can promise that I will update as often as I can.**_

_**I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter and is ready for a for twists and turns to come!**_

* * *

><p>You know that age old saying, "time flies by when you're having fun?" Well, you could have fooled me. I've had no fun whatsoever, yet time just keeps passing me by. As every day passes me, I become more and more withdrawn; depressed by the notion that life is just going on without me. Depressed by the knowledge that life is still out there while I feel like nothing exists. I feel lost. I sit in my old childhood room, rocking myself back and forth in the rocking chair that has been in here since birth, just staring out my bay window. Nothing in particular sparks my interest. I just stare; boredom doesn't settle in, nothing settles in. I just am. Hours mesh into days which turn into weeks and eventually months. But to me, it feels like just yesterday I was torn in two.<p>

It amazing how you can function with a broken heart. Well, I suppose I'm using the word function quite loosely. I'm surprised I can still breathe, move or even, on the rare occasion, shower. The ache in my chest hasn't dulled and the nausea has yet to subside. All my clothes hang off me now and I think I'll forever be sporting bags underneath my eyes. A broken heart creates such physical limitations. I barely feel like I can drag my ass out of bed each day. I feel as though part of me has died; the part of me that pushes me through each day.

I was a wreck.

So, that's why I called Alice. What else was I supposed to do? I was at the end of my rope—my dad, Charlie, has decided he isn't going to let me just lay around the house anymore, "wasting my life away." He all but flat out told me that if I didn't try to change things, he would force me to see someone. He told me this wasn't normal behavior and I needed to start living again. I was broken, alone and I didn't know if I wanted to live again. But, I sure as hell didn't want to share my sob stories with some shrink who will try to make sense out of a situation that, just simply, doesn't make sense.

She was the one person I had left to piece me back together.

Alice and I had known each other since we were five. That was when I moved to Forks, Washington. Charlie had always lived here and during one of my mom's cross-country trips, she met him, they fell in love and had me. But just as quickly as they fell in love, they fell out of it. I moved with my mom when I was just a baby. When I was five, my mom had a nervous breakdown—had to be institutionalized and everything—thus the reason my dad was so worried about my present situation; he didn't want me to end up like her. So, I was sent to live with my dad.

Charlie wasn't exactly knowledgeable on what to do with a five year old little girl. Eternal bachelordom would do that to a man. Bless his heart; I know that he tried his best. Dolls were thrown my way and he even learned how to braid. But something was missing, something that a man just couldn't give a little girl that just lost her mother, for all intensive purposes. My whole life had been uprooted and everything I knew was suddenly gone. Charlie was at a loss at what to do, and in way over his head. When all else had failed, and he knew he had nothing else to try, he walked down to the block to the Cullen's.

Esme took me right under her wing and introduced me to her daughter, Alice. She might have been a bit too hyper and girlie for my personality—even at the young age of five, I was quite set in my ways—but, opposites attract. We were inseparable.

The Cullen's were a rich family that was pieced together. Esme and Carlisle couldn't have children of their own. Alice and her twin brother Emmett were adopted when they were babies, and neither of them ever looked at Esme and Carlisle as anything but their true parents. Rosalie and Jasper were adopted later on. Carlisle was the chief of staff at Forks hospital; he was a world renowned doctor. Rose, Jasper and their parents were in a horrific car accident. Despite the doctor's best efforts, their parents' injuries were too much to overcome and Rose and Jasper had become orphans in a matter of hours. Carlisle felt so terrible for the two children, who were only seven at the time, he swooped in and offered to take them in. They immediately fell right into place with Alice and Emmett, and the rest was history.

I loved every member of the Cullen clan for their each unique, individual personality. Emmett was this huge teddy bear, infamously known for his bone-crushing hugs. Rose had a very unique personality; she took a while to warm up to but once she did, she would do absolutely anything for you. Jasper was a bit on the quiet side, which was a good thing with Alice in the house, but he always had a way of diffusing situations, no matter how tense. Believe me that was necessary when you had four children of the same age living under one roof.

Then, there was Alice. Like I said, I love them all, but Alice had a special place in my heart. I shared everything with her and she was the first person I befriended in Forks. She was there as I dealt with losing my mother and acclimating to my father. We bonded like sisters.

Esme treated us both the same and took me into her arms, acting like the mother I so desperately missed. She did all the things with Alice and I any mother would do. I remembered I had a girl-scouts Mommy and Me event; Esme dropped everything to come with me. She wouldn't dream of me having to go to that alone, or missing it all together.

There was nobody in the world that could bring me through this time other than Alice. Despite the fact that we grew apart, she still came running.

"Hey, Allie," I said as I opened the door to her.

She sprung her small-framed body into my arms, squeezing me with more force you'd think a girl of her stature could have. "Oh, Bella! I'm so sorry. I know that I haven't always been nice about him, but I never wanted this to happen. I can't believe this even happened? When did it happen? Why? Is there someone else? Oh my God, did he leave you because you're pregnant?"

"Alice, take a breath. One question at a time."

"I'm sorry; I'm honestly just so shocked. Rose wanted to come along but I told her that I think I should see you first and then she could swing by another day, if you wanted to see her of course."

"Of course, I'd want to see her. It's just, everything is so complicated and I'm so embarrassed at my inability to cope with this. I feel so weak and pathetic," I admitted.

She grabbed my hands and pulled me onto the couch. Her arm immediately was slung over my shoulders and she was pulling me into her. I sighed into the crook of her neck and the waterworks were mere seconds away at this point. She ran her fingers through my hair, much like Esme used to do when I was little.

"You're not weak or pathetic, Bella. You're suffering from a broken heart. It's hard, and we, as your family, understand. Now, spill! What happened?" she urged.

Oh, where to begin?

Jacob Black. Childhood acquaintance, turned best friend, turned fiancée and finally, turned ex. Jake's dad, Billy, was an old time friend of my dad's; they used to go fishing down by the reservation where Jake and his father lived. I got thrown together with Jake's sisters, Rebecca and Rachel. But, they happened to be twins, and had a bit too much of the twin-thing going on. In other words, I was the strange girl who liked to play sports rather than play with dolls. That's when I noticed Jake tinkering in motor oil and metal, and thought he may be better company.

I watched as Jake fixed cars and motorcycles and grew through awkward stages of wet dreams and acne into a handsome, quite buff man.

Through the years, my contact with him shifted due to the distance in our homes and our school schedules. When college rolled around, Jake wanted to experience life away from the reservation and his family. We both decided we wanted to attend UDub, and we both got in. Alice, Emmett, Rose and Jasper all got in as well, and we ended up sharing rent on an off-campus house. Through nights of partying and triple dates, it just seemed to make sense that Jake and I take our relationship to the next level. I trusted him, we already did everything together and I sure as hell was attracted to him; it just seemed to make sense. We were always paired off together anyways; why not just go the extra mile.

"Everything just seemed so perfect, Al. I truly thought that Jake was the one. It always seemed to make sense to me that we would be together. As college ended, you saw what started to happen. I just never saw it growing so far gone…"

Through the end of college, Jake started a transition. He became more secluded and controlling of my life. He started to want me only to leave the house if he did, I wasn't supposed to talk to other guys and he didn't even want us to hang out with Alice and the rest of the gang. By the time college ended and we graduated, Jake announced that he was moving Chicago to further his career. He wanted to be a lawyer and said that Washington wasn't the place for him to blossom. When he asked me to go with him, I was hesitant. Washington was all I really knew, my friends were here, my dad and the Cullen's were here; I didn't know how to leave them. That was until he popped the question. I got so caught up in the bluster of love; I said the hell to everything else. I thought that Jake was worth it. And I thought that if they were my true friends, they would all understand and everything would just work itself out.

The move was actually quite simple and I was surprised by the fact that everyone gave us their blessing. Everyone thought it was a good thing. So, I believed it too.

Jake spent a lot of nights away, trying to make it big in the fancy law firm he got a job in. When he was home, he was still working. I got a job at the local hospital as a kindergarten teacher. We spent a lot of time in our own separate worlds.

The major problem was, his revolved around work, booze and, as it turns out, other women. My days, due to his wishes and not wanting upset him and cause his temper to flare, stayed home. I cleaned, made dinners that went uneaten and made sure that Jake had the perfect home to come home to. He would check my phone and email to make sure I wasn't babbling about what life was like there. For some reason, I stuck around through the bullshit and nonsense.

My end was reached when I found out two months ago that I was pregnant. I wasn't sure what to think. I mean, I knew it was possible. Jake made sure we were still intimate, telling me it was one of a wife's duties and if I planned on being his wife, I should start acting like one. I just wasn't sure if I could handle having a baby, what his or her life would be like in this environment. But mostly importantly, I had no idea how Jake would take it.

"When I told him I was pregnant, he lost it. He just completely let loose on me and throwing things at me that I couldn't imagine. He started to tell me that I was trapping him because I knew that he was cheating on me, which I didn't. I mean, I thought it was probably happening, but I didn't know for sure. I guess a lot of it was denial.

"He told me to end it, terminate it immediately. I was floored. I almost didn't know how to react, I was speechless. Jake just kept going on and on, talking about how he wasn't raising a child or paying for it. Telling me that I already took enough money out of his paycheck. I sat there and took, just listening to and letting it build up, until I couldn't take it anymore.

"I screamed that I was keeping it. I told him that I wasn't ending a life. He tried to shake some sense into me, but I didn't budge. I wouldn't. He could do what he wanted to me and say what he wanted to me or about me, but not when it came to this innocent life. This baby didn't do anything. I wasn't going to let our mistakes and craziness ruin what could have been a great thing.

"That was it for him. He threw my stuff out onto the lawn, threw a few hundred dollar bills at my feet and told me to go cry myself home. I had nothing holding me to Chicago if it wasn't Jake. So, I decided to just cut my loses and come home. As much as I hated it, I knew it was over and there was no coming back from that."

I cried hysterically while waiting for a cab, getting a plane ticket and the entire flight home. My father picked me up from the airport and I admitted everything. I really thought for a minute that he was about to take a flight back to Chicago just to kick Jake's ass. I wouldn't have blamed him, or stopped him for that matter.

I been in denial since I got home about being alone and pregnant. I just stayed in my room, barely eating, or even moving. Nothing seemed to matter to me. In my eyes, I lost everything I had the moment Jake ended it. I had spent so long building my life up with him and to have it all torn away from me was more than I could handle. Not to mention, I was totally shocked by the harshness of his transition.

I knew that Jake had changed, it was obvious. I just wasn't aware of the extent. I truly thought that when push came to shove, he would turn back around and realize what he had in front of him. I thought that he would hear I was pregnant and take responsibility. Remember how much he loved me and how much a baby could enrich our lives, stop working so late and be there, for me and for the baby. Every thought I had about Jake was wrong. It was tough to admit to myself.

At Alice's urging, by the time I was done telling her my story, I was on my way to the hospital. She reminded me how important it was to keep healthy during pregnancy and that I should go to the doctor to get prenatal vitamins, weighed and all that good stuff. I was probably almost four months at this point. I had a tiny bump that could be seen under tight clothes or if I lifted my shirt up to bare my stomach.

Carlisle was going to take care of me and Alice promised not to leave my side during the entire exam. I sat, dangling my feet off the edge of the gurney, clad in the annoying paper gown and clutching Alice's hand.

"Bella, it has been too long my dear. How are you?" he said, as he came closer to bring me into an embrace.

"I'm surviving," I said, honestly.

"I guess that's better than the alternative. Alice, here, tells me that you are expecting. I know that the timing may not be the greatest but, I promise you, this is a blessing. This baby will enrich your life more than you can even realize at this moment."

I instinctively clutched my stomach, soothingly rubbing circles over my slightly swollen stomach. Carlisle smiled adoringly at my gesture.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

I got all the routine tests, pricked and probed, weighed and questioned. I was underweight for being four and a half months; apparently I was due at the end of March, just in time to trek through the snow being fully pregnant. I needed to get started on taking my vitamins.

"Now, have you felt any movements?" Carlisle asked me.

"No, should I have?" I started to panic. It all started to click that I was really pregnant, and not just a few weeks—I was into my second trimester already. Was I supposed to have felt the baby kick yet? Did I already screw something up because I haven't been taking care of myself?

"Not necessarily. This is your first child. Most first-time moms don't experience movements until anywhere between where you're at now and twenty weeks. You might have already experienced it and not now. You could have written it off as gas; at this stage, it will just feel like flutters," he explained and I let out a breath I barely registered that I was holding in.

Carlisle warned me before squirting a cool gel on my stomach. He placed the wand on my stomach and began to apply pressure and slide it across my abdomen. A loud whooshing filled the room and suddenly my eyes were glued to the screen. I was amazed that I could make anything out of the grey mesh. But there, right in front of my eyes, was a tiny baby. He or She was already posing. I could see an arm and the head and the body. My eyes welled with pride and love seeing my tiny peanut.

"Oh my God, Bella. There she is!" Alice exclaimed.

"You can't tell gender yet, sweetheart," Carlisle added.

"I know. I just think that it's a girl. Don't you, Bella?" Alice questioned.

I looked at the screen and then down at my stomach; I had no idea what I thought the baby's gender was. "I don't know, Allie. I haven't thought much about it, I just want her, or him, to be happy and healthy. Maybe I'll get a hunch once I feel the baby move."

"That's perfectly normal, Bella. Much like you're health and the baby. You will need to gain some more weight though; you are at the very bottom of the weight curve. In general, I'd like you to gain about twenty-five pounds throughout the whole pregnancy. In the next few weeks, I'd like to see you gain about four or five pounds to catch up a bit. Do you have any questions for me?" Carlisle asked. I shook my head no as Alice assisted me in wiping the goo off my abdomen. "Well, alright. Take those vitamins, eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Don't forget to rest too! If you need anything, you know where to find me," he continued, and cupped my cheek with his hand. "It was great to see you. I hope to see more of you now that you're back. Congratulations," he finished, kissing Alice and I both on the head before leaving.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Alice asked as I buttoned my jeans and fixed my shirt back over them.

"Yeah. It's just, this is really happening," I explained, soothingly caressing my baby bump. "I'm just happy that everything is alright."

"I'm so excited! This is going to be the most spoiled child in the world! Between you, Rose, my mother and I, this kid will have everything in the world. Now there are a few things we need to discuss. First, I can't wait to take you shopping! You know, maternity clothes can be quite fashion-forward nowadays, so don't worry about looking like a frump. You will be the most stylish mom-to-be! Next, are planning on knowing the sex of the baby? Because we only have four and a half months to decorate a nursery! If you want to be surprised, I guess we could go with a gender neutral color, like yellow. I never saw green as very gender neutral, if you ask me. God! We're going to need so much stuff!" Alice said, surprisingly all in one breath full.

God, I missed my best friend.

After a much needed trip to fast food heaven, Alice brought me over to her house to see her family. Esme cried and held onto me for about a half hour. No wonder where Alice gets it from! Rose pretended to be mad for about, oh, five seconds before hugging me and offer to kick Jake's ass for me. I told her that my father and she could do it together. Jasper hadn't changed a bit and offered to help me with anything. And Emmett, the big brother I never had, he gave me a modified bear hug. He was scared of crushing "the little dude."

It finally felt like I was home. The ache in my chest dulled and the pit in my stomach become less irritable. How could I have ever left these people?

"Does asswad even know that you're carrying his baby?" Rose questioned. She determined she heard his name enough to last her a lifetime and has taken up referring to Jake as asswad. I had no objections; I felt it was quite fitting.

"Unfortunately, yes. That was the last straw for me, Rose. He could what he wanted to me. But, to my baby? I wouldn't get rid of this baby for anything. He wasn't going to take that away from me, too."

"I hate to bring this up, but do you think he'll ever try to take the baby from you?" Esme asked.

"I already talked to my dad about this, because he was worried too. He's trying to draw up an order of protection for me and the baby but he's not sure it will stick. Jake is a lawyer, after all. A rich lawyer, with powerful connections. I don't know how I'll ever compete with that," I said meekly

"Don't you worry about money or connections, because have plenty of both. We will not let him take this baby, or anything else from you. He will be the one paying to you, I can promise you that. I'll have Carlisle start talking to our lawyer, Mr. Jenks, about drawing up some papers for child support and other necessary things. You don't need the stress of worrying about it, dear," Esme sweetly offered.

"I couldn't…." I started to say but Esme quickly clicked her tongue to stop me.

"Nonsense. You are like a daughter to me and I will not sit back and wait for that… shmuck, to make the first move. I protect my family," she told me, wrapping her motherly arms around my shoulder.

"You're not in this alone, Bells," Emmett added.

I tried my best to smile sincerely, but I doubt I could convince anyone I was happy.

Esme excused herself to begin dinner, to which I was staying for—I had no choice in the matter. It was just the original gang back together again. I had to open up with them because if I couldn't do it with them, I wouldn't be able to do it with anyone.

"Maybe your mom and my dad don't need any papers drawn up at all," I started to say, having everyone's eyes suspiciously watch me as I continued. "I think Jake was just really having a bad day. Work had been rough for him and I shocked him with my announcement. Maybe he just needed some time. I was thinking of calling him…"

All at once, their bodies were closing in on mine and on my cell phone. Rose was the one to take it and slam it against the wall.

"You are not calling him, Bella," she told me.

"Why not?" I asked as tears started to well in the corner of my eyes.

"Bella, I'm going to do this because I love you and you deserve better. How many times has he tried to call you?" she questioned. My head hung low and I stared at the floor, my silence a loud enough answer. "Text? Email? Anything?" she pushed. My continued silence said everything she needed to hear. "If you, or this baby, meant a damn thing to him, he would have sent something. He's said and done everything he had to the day he threw you out on the lawn," she finished and I couldn't hold it in any longer.

The tears that had been bundled up inside me were released. Everything I had bottled up inside for the past few weeks came pouring out through my eyes and trembles. I sobbed, shaking uncontrollably as the four of them tried desperately to console me. I heard Alice scold Rose for being so harsh and Rose apologize but it wasn't her fault. For once, someone had actually been honest with me and told me the truth. The truth broke the damn.

Air was getting harder to breathe in. My chest was getting tighter and I felt as though someone was stepping on my chest. I began to choke, trying to get any air at all into my lungs but it barely did anything. I wrapped my arms around my chest, as if I would literally fall into pieces if I let go as I gasped for air.

Then the blackness came…

When I came through, I was totally unaware of where I was. All I knew was that I felt something cool against my forehead. Fingers were weaving through my hair and a soft hum was calming my breathing.

It was Esme. I was in the spare bedroom at their house, the room I had often occupied over the many times I slept over here. She smiled warmly as I opened my eyes.

"You gave us quite a scare there, dear. How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" I asked.

"Carlisle thinks you had a panic attack and the lack of oxygen caused you to pass out. You seem to perfectly fine though. You and the baby," she assured me.

I smiled and brought my hand to my stomach, which was something I just seemed to be doing all the time now, half the time without even realizing it.

"You know, it's going to be okay. I know right now everything seems to be crazy and like nothing will ever be okay. I promise you, it will be. When you least expect it, love and happiness will find you. You are an astounding young woman and greatness is bound to make its way to you."

"Thank you, Esme. For everything, you've always been so kind to me," I told her.

She caressed my cheek gently and smiled sweetly at me. She motioned to the dinner that she brought up for me and instructed me to get so much needed rest. I nodded at her and smelled the rich aroma coming from her food. Esme was always such a fantastic cook; I missed these home cooked meals.

The next morning, I woke up to a tiny, black haired figure on one side of me and a statuesque blonde on the other side of me. They were ambushing me for something, I was sure.

"What do I need to do?"

"Well, you don't need to do anything technically. Rose and I, I'm sure, can handle it all. Although, I suppose that you wouldn't happy with us making _all_ the decisions, but we probably do know best. We would just need…"

Rose's hand slapped over Alice's mouth. "Alice, just tell her we're taking her shopping."

"We're taking you shopping," she said behind Rose's hand.

"I don't know you guys…" and this time my mouth was slapped shut by Rose's hand.

"Now, you're supposed to say, okay guys, let's go!" Rose instructed me.

"Rose…"

"Don't make me drag your pregnant ass out of bed, Bella. Now, we will leave to let you get dressed. But you better be ready in ten minutes or else we come in and get you ready. Okay?"

I reluctantly nodded my head and swung my legs off the bed to go get ready for a day of being thrusted into dressing rooms with armfuls of clothes. Shopping with the Cullen girls was always an adventure.

I was surprised with the gentle experience this shopping trip was. I didn't have to try many things on; once they got my size, they simply picked and swiped. I tried to insist on giving them money but they wouldn't hear it. They told me that this was my coming home present and a present to their little niece of nephew. I don't understand what my appearance had to do with the baby, but my bank account wasn't exactly arguing.

I had bags full of new jeans, shirts and even some dresses. I had to get that annoying maternity band that I could add to my jeans I already had if I wanted to. They wanted to go into a baby store to start looking but, to be honest, I couldn't handle it.

I loved the bundle of joy that was growing inside me right now. I wouldn't change a single thing. But, thinking about the baby and shopping without Jake just reminded me of the absence of him. It was a constant reminder of the void my chest felt. He wouldn't be around for anything. No matter how much support these girls gave me, no matter how much support my dad, Esme and Carlisle would undoubtedly give me, I'd still be alone. I would be doing this on my own and the thought of being a single mother scared the hell out of me. I wasn't ready to face the world I was about to be pushed into.

We sat down in the food court with our salads and my cinnamon roll, since pregnancy cravings have started to hit me like a truck overnight. Rose and Alice kept sharing glances between each and me. I knew that something was up and that there was perhaps an alternative motive for bringing me shopping today.

"What is going on you two? Whatever it is, just spill it already!"

"What do mean?" Alice innocently stated.

"Why did you guys drag me out here today?" I asked.

"You needed clothes, obviously. Look at all the bags of stuff you needed. We couldn't allow you to do this on your own. Lord only knows what you would come back with," Rose answered.

"There's something else, and I know it. You both having been acting strange all day and exchanging looks. Now, what is going on?" I demanded of them.

They exchanged looks one last time before it was Alice that finally spoke. "We both know how much you're going through. We both can appreciate the difficult situation that you have been dealt and we always have your best interest at heart. With that being said…." she paused to steal one last glance at Rose, who nodded her head for Alice to continue. "We have a favor to ask."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, there you have it!<strong>_

_**Next chapter, you will all find out what this favor is that the girls are asking of Bella.**_

_**It's a doozy! **_

_**Thanks for all the views and alerts! I appreciate every single one; they truly keep me writing!**_

_**Happy Reading and Please Review!**_


	3. The Show Must Go On

A Super-Glued Heart

Chapter 2- The Show Must go On

_**AN: Thanks to everyone who has given this story a chance thus far! It warms my heart every time I get an email telling me someone alert or favorited this story, or me as an author. It helps me write!**_

_**I hope everyone enjoys this update!**_

* * *

><p><em>Dinner…<em> I thought to myself. _It's just dinner. Everyone needs to eat dinner, and I won't be doing it alone. That's got to be a plus, right?_

I never should have gone shopping with those two. I should have realized that it wouldn't have been as simple as a wardrobe make-over. There was always more when it came to those two. I could have faked morning sickness, claimed to feel like total shit. Then, I wouldn't have had to look into their gorgeous eyes and their pouty lips and agree to this ridiculous favor they asked of me. I was the one bordering on sanity and yet, I get asked for a favor. Something about that didn't seem right. But, alas, I still agreed to do it. I thought they were supposed to be helping me, not the other way around. I always have been a pushover though, especially when it came to Alice and Rose, so it shouldn't surprise me in the least that I agreed to this.

I just had to keep telling myself it's just dinner. No decisions have been made yet. I am just going to eat in the company of a man and that's it. It's not like I'm agreeing to marry him…

Yet.

Is it too late to back out?

My phone buzzed beside me, glowing that I had received a text. It was from Alice.

_Yes, it's too late to back out. So, don't even think about trying it, Swan!_ I swear this girl could read my mind or see the future or some shit. I could think something and there she would appear in some shape or form. It was kind of freaky when you thought about it. I never got away with anything when it came to her. She was almost like another mother; always on my ass about something.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I am getting myself into. They said that I was the only person they knew could help them. Well, that they trusted and wanted to it, at least. Apparently, it was a complicated and delicate situation. One that affected their family. Family was always important to them. I was always considered part of their family and they always did anything for me. If someone in their family needed something that I could provide, I shouldn't even think about it; I should just do it. That's what they would do for me.

"_We need a favor," Alice told me, glancing between myself and Rose._

"_Why do I have a feeling I am going to be extremely opposed to whatever favor you are going to ask me?"_

"_I don't know what ever gave you that impression," Rose answered, attempting to seem innocent, though we all knew she was probably the least innocent of the three of us._

"_It's not going to harm you," Alice assured me. "In fact…" she began to say, looking at Rose and both of them nodded their heads "…. It might actually help you. Be good for you, even."_

_I let out a deep breath to prepare myself to give in; I always gave in when it came to these two. "What is it?" I reluctantly asked._

"_So, you'll do it?" Alice asked excitedly, almost bouncing up in her seat._

"_I didn't say that. I asked what it was first. Can't I know before I agree blindly? With you two, I could be agreeing to get married to a complete stranger for all I know!"_

_Their faces fell and they stared at each other before looking back at me. I unknowingly, and sarcastically, guessed their favor._

Apparently, Carlisle had a brother, which I had never known. He lived in Canada, with his wife and son. His son, Edward, came to the United States on a student Visa, to study at Harvard. But, that was seven years ago. His visa expired and things at home for him were messy. He had no home to return to in Canada.

His mother, Elizabeth, left his father, Edward Sr., and took most, if not all of their money. Edward Sr., the good business man that he was, was building a new company from the ground up, except it wasn't functional, yet. It still had about a year until it was ready to take on its CEO, Edward Jr. So, he needed to buy himself another year in the states before he could return to Canada and work for his father.

That all was well and good, until he got arrested for public intoxication. They ran his information and found out his visa was expired and is facing deportation. He stupidly lied and said that he was engaged to be married. He was told that in order for him to stay in the country, he needed to be married within thirty days, if this engagement had any truth to it.

Alice overheard Esme talking to Carlisle about it, who was worried about what would happen to Edward if he did get deported. Alice and Rose then plotted to make Edward's story true. Perfectly timed for them, cue single, broken down Bella.

Long story short, I was meeting my soon-to-be fiancé in about two hours.

Esme flew him to Washington to stay with them while all this gets settled. She wasn't very happy with the fact that I was being tricked into this ploy but she did love it, secretly. First, she would do anything for her family. If a simple fake marriage was all it took to keep Edward safe, she would think it's the right thing to do. Second, she loved weddings. Even though this wouldn't exactly be real, Esme would treat that way. This wasn't going to be a simple trip down to city hall, sign on the dotted line, congratulations, you're married type deal. Nope. Esme would make sure this was a whole to-do. Third, this would make me an official member of her family, which she always considered me anyways. Lastly, she loved to play matchmaker. Esme kept saying it's only for a year, but her smile said otherwise. Her feelings were: give us a year, and love would blossom.

I doubted it.

I started to panic once I was out of the shower.

I, pretty much for no reason, shaved _everything,_ used the pretty smelling soaps and took a nice long time lathering my skin with body butter once I got out of the shower. My skin was as soft as a baby's bottom. I don't know why I did all this, I wasn't planning on _anything_ happening, yet I did it anyway. Who's going to want to be with a damaged, pregnant woman? In most men's minds, I was damaged two ways. No man wanted to deal with baby drama.

I went into my closet, where the panicking increased. What the hell do I wear to a meet-your-fiancé dinner? Did I treat this like an actual date? What the hell was I going to say to the guy? Fuck, did he know I was pregnant?

I flipped open my phone and texted Alice, I just simply wrote _Alice…._

She wrote me back a novel.

_Bella, breathe. EVERYTHING is alright. The maxi-dress we bought the other day, the printed one with the spaghetti strapped sleeves is perfect. Pair it with those rainbow beaded flats and the grey, cropped sweater, in case it gets chilly. French braid your hair into a headband in the front of your head and then put the rest up in a messy bun, leaving some strands loose and wavy. Don't worry about make-up; you don't need it ;) Just dab on some mascara and a bit of lip gloss and you will look stunning! I didn't tell him much about you, just as I didn't you much about him. Just talk tonight Bella, be yourself and see where things go. My family appreciates this so much but if it's too much, just tell us. We will understand and always love you no matter what! Now, knock um dead, ! 3_

I did exactly as Alice told me, down to the strategically placed loose strands of hair. I even took the time to curl them slightly with the curling wand Alice threw into our purchases the other day.

I looked in the mirror, surprisingly pleased with how I looked. The maxi-dress was flowing and it did a great job of disguising the tiny bump that I had developed the past week. I swear the thing just popped up overnight; no wonder why they refer to it as a bun in the oven. My hair shockingly came out whimsical and relaxed. I may not be a girly girl, but braids I could do, which Alice knew. She always made me put her hair in French braids when we were younger, Rose too. They never could get the hang of it when Esme showed us. I picked up in a snap and it had become my go-to hairstyle.

I felt like I was going to throw up; morning sickness paired with extreme anxiety over meeting your forced-to-be husband was not a good combination. I was just about to run to the bathroom when the doorbell rang.

_Well, it's too late now…._

I took in one more deep breath before the man in front of me stole it as I opened the door. _Now, that is a man that can truly take your breath away!_

He was stunning, as corny as that sounds when using it to refer to a man. His hair was short and spiked up in every direction; sort of like that just-got-out-of-bed look that everyone tries so hard to achieve, he did it effortlessly. His lips were pink and full against his pale complexion. They seemed so soft and I had a strange urge to put my lips against them. He was dressed in a button down shirt, which he cuffed to his elbows, and some distressed jeans. Best part of the outfit? The worn in Chucks on his feet. Causal, sexy was definitely his look.

But the most striking part about him was his eyes. They just appeared as though they could look straight into your soul. They were huge and wide open, revealing all the gorgeous shades of yellow, blue and green that made up the most astounding pair of green eyes I had ever seen. The color seemed to be something out of a made-up novel; a color closely resembling the lush green oceans of the Caribbean. I had never seen eyes that stood out so much on someone's face.

His body language was one of nervousness; his hands were in his pockets and his feet kept bouncing back and forth, switching his weight between feet. He dragged his hand through his hair, seemingly to be a nervous habit of his, and gave me a meek smile.

Maybe I wasn't the only one completely unsure about this _arrangement._

"Bella, I presume…" he said, sounding more like a question than a statement.

"And you must be Edward," I responded, offering my hand to shake. His hands were softer than I imagined, being that they belonged to a male.

"Should we, uh, get going? I don't know many places around here but my aunt recommended a place in Port Angles. Italian; she said you liked it."

"La Bella Cucina," I replied, knowing instantly the place he referred to. Every time we had a reason to go out, I always accompanied the Cullen clan to that restaurant, and I did like it.

"That's the place. Is that alright?" he questioned.

"Perfect," I told him, closing the door behind me and locking it. He put his hand out in front, motioning for me to go ahead toward his car. I saw a shiny, silver car in my driveway, but I didn't speak Car and Driver magazine, so the name of the car, or even its manufacturer evaded me.

"Nice car," I told him, trying to be polite.

"You know cars?"

"Not at all," I admitted, laughing nervously. "I couldn't tell you what kind of car it is. Lexus?"

He smirked, and I noticed his smile was a bit skewed. This simple imperfection seemed to be so perfect against the rest of his insanely beautiful features. "Not a Lexus, which is just a fancy way of saying a Toyota, since Toyota owns them. It's a Volvo."

"oh," was all I said, unsure of where to go from there. Car talk didn't exactly entice me to talk up a frenzy.

He chivalrously opened the door to the car for me, waiting until I was safely tucked inside the car before closing it behind me.

Once behind the wheel, he sped off, a bit more quickly than I normally drive. He didn't say much on our ride. I caught him occasionally looking over at me, but once my eye caught his, he quickly averted his eyes. I found comfort in the fact that perhaps I wasn't the only one uncomfortable in the situation. But, I supposed I understood why he needed help and why Alice and Rose sought my help. For a brief moment I thought about the best possible outcome….

I'd have a little girl, brown hair and brown eyes most likely considering Jake and I both had those features. Her skin would be just a few shades darker than mine but not as russet-colored that her father had. She would never know her real father though; to her, her father would be Edward.

He would have been there from the birth, helping me along with all the nuances of being a new mother. He'd offer to help with feedings throughout the night, want to change diapers and enjoying holding her. He would sing to her to help her sleep. The three of us would always be together; trips to the park, walks around the neighborhood and weekly trips to the supermarket. Nothing overly fancy, just a simple, small town family.

He would eventually start moving his clothes into my room, little by little, spending so much time in there helping me out with the baby. Then, one night, as if out of nowhere, our lips would meet and life would make sense. We would fit perfectly together and we'd question why we didn't see what was right in front of us sooner. But, we would cherish the amount of time we still had ahead of us.

We would announce to our families, who would be pleased and tell us it's about time. We would re-take our vows, truly meaning them this time, having our little girl as the flower girl. And, she would truly be our little girl. Edward would insist on adopting her, to make her officially his daughter.

It would be a picture perfect life.

I just met the man and I'm already picturing a life with him. I didn't know a thing about him. Besides, that dream had to be the most far-fetched thing I'd thought since I believed that Jake was going to come crawling back. I really needed to join reality one of these days.

Thankfully, Edward didn't notice that my brain was obviously elsewhere, picturing him as a _real _husband. We got to Port Angles much faster than I had ever gotten there. We drove around a bit— Edward got a bit turned around being new to the area but eventually we parked near the boardwalk, right across from the restaurant. He once again opened my car door for me, as well as the door to the restaurant. He even pulled out my chair for me once we were being seated. This man was gorgeous and had the best manners I had ever seen in a man. Why would he have any trouble finding someone to marry him?

"Bella, I must ask you. Are you alright with this, uh, arrangement?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained on the table.

"I don't necessarily have a problem with it. I mean, the Cullen's are like family to me and I'd do anything for them. The way I see it, if someone in their family needs help and I can be of assistance, then I'd do it," I explained honestly.

"Well, that's very noble of you," he complimented, causing a blush to creep up on my cheeks. When he noticed, he looked downwards again, only looking up once the waitress came forward to take our order.

I ordered my favorite, mushroom raviolis, surprised when Edward ordered the same. He said that he would trust my judgment, since this had been my favorite place to eat.

"I don't mean to pry, but Alice seemed to give me the impression that you were going through a rough time. Do you mind me asking why?"

I bit my lip, and it was my turn to look down and watch me twiddle my thumbs in my napkin clad lap.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he added.

"It's not that, I guess if this is going to work, I'd have to tell you a bit about myself. And I guess that means telling you about my difficult time. You see, I just got dumped and before you offer apologies, it's probably for the best, I've had time to think about it and he was a jerk. Doesn't exactly mend a broken heart, though."

"I know what you mean. I recently just got out of a bad relationship myself. Sort of led to my drunken and disorderly summons, that set this whole thing in motion," he offered.

"What went wrong?" I asked without thinking. "If you don't mind," I added afterwards, afraid of being too forward with my line of questioning.

"No, I don't mind. I guess I'm in a better place to be able to talk about it now without needing alcohol to remedy things. Her name was Tanya; she was a socialite in Manhattan. All she cared about was money. I thought that what we had was real; she seemed genuinely interested in me. Then, I found out that her family went broke. I began questioning everything and she finally admitted that, basically, she was a gold-digging— whore excuse my language."

"Not a problem. If the shoe fits," I joked and he finally cracked a smile, the atmosphere getting a bit lighter.

"One night, I was drowning my sorrows at being so stupidly played. I decided to walk around outside, and I began shouting at a woman who resembled Tanya. Asking what women wanted, if money was all the mattered and if all women were whores. Someone called the police about a drunken man and I got arrested. While running my information, they found out my visa was expired. Without thinking, I said I was engaged to be married, and I showed the ring that I planned on giving Tanya. I was told I had thirty days to make things official. That was about a week ago. Aunt Esme, bless her heart, had no reservations about taking me in and helping me. I don't know where I'd be without their help. Especially thankful that they found such a beautiful woman to agree to help me, not many questions asked," he told me, a slight blush creeping up onto his face to match the one on mine.

"I'm pregnant!" I blurted out.

I wasn't really sure why I blurted it out. Some people around the restaurant looked over at me, and I had to put my face down to avoid further embarrassment. Edward stayed mostly quiet; I'm sure processing the information. I should have probably kept my mouth shut but he was being so honest, and sweet, and I just felt I didn't deserve it. Part of me was hoping he'd be scared off and run in the opposite direction. But he didn't.

"I'm sorry. You were just so forth-right with me; I felt that you deserved to know the truth. That's why I was dumped by the way, answering an earlier question. He wanted me to give it up and I refused. At that point, the relationship was just about over— the same day he admitted to cheating on me— so, the baby was just the final straw. I'm just happy your aunt and cousins welcomed me back into their lives so easily."

"Why wouldn't they?" he questioned.

"I left Forks for a bit, to follow my ex to Chicago, where he got a job at a big law firm. He kind of made sure I didn't talk to anyone else. I lost touch with Alice and Rose; I didn't speak with them for months. I know that it upset them but they still didn't hesitate to help me when I needed it. They're my best friends," I explained.

Edward just nodded, I'm sure he didn't know what to say after that. Our dinners came at that moment, giving us both an opportunity to let everything we shared sink in.

It seemed like I might not be the only one with a broken heart here. Edward appeared that he gave a lot in his relationship with Tanya, but she didn't give anything back. I felt bad for him. Granted I had only met him tonight, but he seemed to be such a gentleman, one with a big heart. He didn't deserve to be courted just for his money.

The dinner was delicious, as it usually was. If Edwards's empty plate was any indication, I'd say he enjoyed his dinner as well.

I declined dessert, but Edward's sweet tooth couldn't deny the chocolate soufflé that the restaurant had on special. I ordered myself a decaf tea, not wanting to consume any more caffeine.

"Are you excited about the pregnancy?" Edward asked.

"Yes," I simply replied. I was going to end it there, but something about him made me want to bare my soul like I never did before. "At first, thinking about it just reminded of Jake, my ex, and it hurt, a lot. But, I've sort of learned to disassociate Jake with the baby. He didn't want it, so now I'm left with this innocent, precious life. I couldn't imagine not having him or her," I added.

"Are you scared?"

"A little. I mean, it's just such a huge responsibility. I wonder if I'm enough. If I can do enough. You know, being a single mother," I said.

"Well, if I have my way, you won't be single," he corrected with that smile; the most gorgeous crooked smile I'd seen in my life. That's when it hit me. Why me? Why was he going to settle for just some girl his family set up for him. I looked at him, his devastatingly handsome good looks. This man could have any, and I mean _any_, girl he wanted. Didn't he want to be in love?

"Don't you want to fall in love? Why do you want to marry me? You're so…" a blush crept onto my cheeks, embarrassed that I was going to admit this to him "…good-looking. You could find any girl to marry you. Not some plain, emotionally damaged, knocked up girl from Forks!"

He smirked and laughed quietly at my admission, a blush even forming across his cheeks when I told him he was handsome. "It's not that I don't want to fall in love. Love doesn't want to find me. Girls are only turned on by my bank account. Plus, love would just complicate things. I have to go back to Canada in a year. I don't want to fall in love and then expect her to uproot her entire life for me. It isn't fair."

"I guess I can understand that. So, how is this going to work?"

He took his bottom lip into his mouth and chewed on it as he pondered my question. It was a difficult one, with many different things to contemplate. Knowing the Cullen family, who used any excuse to throw a party, I was certain this would be a to-do. Not to mention, Esme said the bigger the extravaganza, the less it looks like a scam, since what we were plotting was against the law. Would we live together? Obviously, we would split all expenses down middle, excluding those for the baby; that wasn't his responsibility.

"My aunt, as I'm sure you already know, wants to throw a big party and have an actual wedding. But, if you'd prefer, we could always just elope," he offered.

I shook my head. "No, whatever Esme plans would be fine. It is better for proving our marriage isn't a sham anyway," I explained."

"Good point."

"Do you have a place to live? On your own that is, not just with your aunt and uncle," I asked.

"I've been looking but I guess Forks real-estate is pretty narrow when it comes to variety."

"Well, my house is a three-bedroom. It's where my father grew up. When my grandmother passed away, he got the house but my dad, well, he sort of resists change. He was comfortable in the house I grew up in. So, I just moved in a few days ago. One of the bedrooms is going to be a nursery, but the other one can be yours. If you want, of course."

"We probably should be living together if we are to be married. That would be wonderful, thank you. Please let me know of the expenses so that I can pay for them," he offered, but I couldn't have him paying for everything.

"I have money saved away; we'll split everything fifty-fifty. Except for the baby stuff of course, that's all my expenses," I clarified.

He looked like he was going to argue but I stared at him pointedly, and he conceded. He ate his dessert in silence, only speaking to offer me a portion of his dessert, which I declined. I tried to give some money toward the bill but he profusely would not accept any money from me. It was a date, he said, and he would never have a date pay for dinner.

His chivalrous behavior continued straight up to my doorstep. He placed a gentle kiss on my cheek and back away, shoving his hands in his pockets. I heard him nervously jingling his keys as I clumsily struggled to open my door.

Once I finally got it open, I turned around to face him again. "So, um, whenever you want to move in just let me know. You have my number, right?"

What an odd question to ask considering I was practically already engaged to the man….

"No, actually. I don't."

He whipped out his fancy touch screen phone, that I probably would break just by looking at it and pushed it toward me to punch in, or touch in, my number.

"Technology and I don't exactly mix, It's probably best I just verbalize it to you."

"You don't have a smartphone?" he asked, seeming like it was impossible that I didn't.

"Nope, I still got a simple flip phone that works perfectly. It looks monstrous but it texts and receives calls. It works for me," I explained and then spit out the digits to my number.

"It was really nice meeting you tonight. I can't thank you enough for the favor, I suppose it's a bit more than a favor that you are doing for me. At least I know that I can happily spend a year with you," he complimented, causing us both to blush under the florescent light of the porch.

I smiled as brightly as I could, showing him I wanted to do this. Even though, on the inside, I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into.

Sure, this was basically all paperwork. He was handsome, rich and needed a year's stay in the country. I just had to give up a year of being single to help him. What was the difference really? It's not like me, being knocked up and basically an emotional wreck, is going to go out and find myself a husband right not. Then, once the baby comes, I will be focusing solely on him or her. By the time I could even bring myself to think about dating, Edward should have his divorce and be settled into a comfy, oversized leather chair in Canada.

I could do this, right?

He didn't seem like a psycho; in fact quite the opposite. He was a gentleman, clearly able to provide for himself and, probably the best part of all, he wasn't bad to look at, at all. I could definitely share a house with him for a year. Who knows, maybe I'll end up with another great friend courtesy of the Cullen family.

That was it. My mind was made. I was going to marry Edward Cullen.

"Well, goodnight Bella. I'll be in touch," he said, raising his hand to wave.

"'Night Edward," I replied, turning on my heel, desperate to relive my feet from these god-awful flats.

The door was just about closed when a hand slammed against it, forcing it to stay open. I peered out and saw Edward, who was nervously biting on his lip.

"Did you forget something?" I questioned.

"Yeah. Uh…." He paused, scratching the back of his head before sticking his hand back into his pocket. He reached in and dug something out before he dropped onto his knee and opened a tiny Tiffany-colored box. Inside, a solitaire princess-cut diamond in white gold, or platinum— I was definitely not the girl who could tell the difference. I unconsciously gasped, and my hand slapped over my mouth.

"I'm not sure if I should be doing this in the traditional sense, since this is not a traditional engagement in any sense. But, Isabella Swan, will you marry me?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, there's the big twist that is going to force these two together.<strong>_

_**They seem to have a good foundation to be friends, but can something more blossom? Can Bella's brief image of their life together become their reality? **_

_**Is Jake going to fight her for custody? Is Tanya ready to give up?**_

_**Stay tuned for more and you will find out ;)**_

_**Next up, Edward meets Bella's father and they need to explain the situation to him. What will his opinion be?**_

_**Thank you to everyone that has read, alerted and favorite this story, or me. I appreciate them all!**_

_**Happy reading and please review!**_


End file.
